Android VS iPhone – the endless battle. In the world of mobile today, there are only two major players; Android and iOS (iPhone). The argument “which is better,” is one that has been around for a while. Both online and offline, Android users come at iPhone users and vice versa. Android and iOS aren’t the only two mobile operating systems out there. Just that the rest is pretty much dead. We have the likes of Microsoft, Blackberry, Canonical, Ubuntu e.t.c. I remember the days’ of Blackberry-powered smartphones where Blackberry was making waves. The recent Blackberry smartphones like KeyOne and Key2 are now being powered by Android. Even Microsoft-powered Nokia smartphones didn’t stand the test of time. The company was later revitalized by HMD Global and now runs on the Android operating system.
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So the battle for supremacy is clearly between Android-powered devices and iOS-powered devices. Picking one of these two can be a tough call for some people. While others are a major fan of either of the two and aren’t ready to jump ship. For others, they are tired of one and can’t wait to make the big change. But the main truth is that both Android and iOS are good at what they do and what they offer their users. Let’s take a closer look between the two best mobile operating system out there.
Android VS iPhone – The Basics
Android is owned by Google Inc. but it’s an open source system, which allows access to anybody. Phone makers like Samsung, HTC, LG, Huawei, Xiaomi, and others make use of the software. They incorporate their own skin (user interface) on top of the system to manufacture their devices. While some phone makers like Nokia adds no skin to the software. Google also has their own Pixel smartphones that run purely on the Android operating system with no modifications.
Whereas iOS is owned by Apple Inc. and they use it to manufacture the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The mobile operating system is a closed source, meaning it can’t be accessed by anybody except Apple themselves. The system is developed to work together with Apple’s hardware. The good thing is that they don’t have to worry about making codes to fit thousands of devices from different phone makers.
Android VS iPhone – The Hardware
The hardware is pretty much where both Android smartphones and iPhones stand apart. Apple is in charge of both the hardware and software of all iPhones. They have an extremely tight control on all their products including the iPads and iPods. While Android smartphones are equipped with various hardware such as MediaTek and Qualcomm Snapdragon. Google only make Android software, which phone makers like HTC, Samsung, LG, Huawei and others use for the devices.
So getting an Android smartphone can be a bit confusing, cause you first need to pick a brand and then a model. While for iPhones, you only need to pick a model.
Android VS iPhone – The Software
One great benefit of using an iPhone is that you’ll always get the latest iOS operating system. While the same can’t be said of the Android smartphones. This is cause most Android phone makers are very slow at updating their phones with the latest Android operating system. And at times, they don’t just bother about updating it. This is why Google brought about the Android One initiative (smartphones running purely on Android stock operating system).
A recent report about the iOS 11 operating system and Android 8 (codenamed Oreo) operating system further buttress our point. The new iOS 11 after it’s six weeks of release was installed in about 66% of compatible models. While the Android 8.0 Oreo after over eight weeks of release was only installed in about 0.2% of Android phones.
Android VS iPhone – The features
This is where Android wins it. Android is more customizable, it allows users to change widgets on their home screen. While the iPhone isn’t customizable, there’s no freedom.
Both the iPhone and Android have AI assistants. iPhones have Siri while Google has Google Assistant. The assistants can be used to set reminders, alarms, send text messages and so much more.
Android VS iPhone – The Apps
According to a survey in April 2018, the Apple App store has around 2.1 million apps. While the Google Play store has about 3.5 million apps. This is because Apple are very strict when it comes to apps they allow on their platform. Whereas, Google are a bit more lenient.
Most big name apps are available in both stores such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram e.t.c. But when it comes to app updates, the Apple App store gets it faster than the Google Play store.
Android VS iPhone – Security and Privacy
When it comes to security and privacy, the iPhone is the obvious winner. Having a closed source operating system means iPhones are less prone to cyber attacks like malware and viruses unlike Android, which is open source. For example, around October 2017, a fake version of WhatsApp was uploaded to Google Play store. The app was later removed but had already been downloaded by 1 million people. That’s a huge security threat right there.
When it comes to your data, Apple is very strict with it. While Google uses your data to make money off you through targeted ads.
Android VS iPhone – Pros and Cons
iPhone
Pros
• Privacy is taken seriously.
• App store is less prone to malware.
• Apple controls and optimizes the hardware and software.
Cons
• Closed source, limited customization
• No external storage
Android
Pros
• Open source, easy customization.
• Expandable external storage on many smartphones
• Variety of devices to choose from
Cons
• Very prone to malware and viruses
• Mostly susceptible to bloatware due to too many unnecessary features.
Android VS iPhone – Summary
Nothing can be perfect in this life. Both Android and iPhone have their ups and downs. It just boils down to which ecosystem you want to belong to. If you’re a very private person, the iPhone should be your choice. But if you don’t care to an extent about your privacy and what your personal data is used for, then Android will be your choice. Which would you prefer between Android and iPhone? Let us know down in the comment section.
